


I Have Seen What the Darkness Does

by tiniestmite



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [12]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bad Things Happen Bingo, Drinking, Hospitals, M/M, TK Strand Needs A Hug, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:42:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28383414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiniestmite/pseuds/tiniestmite
Summary: At first, TK softens in his embrace, enjoying the affection and lack of any hint that Carlos held any hard feelings for their canceled date. But when he breathes in, expecting to inhale Carlos’ familiar scent, he instead finds a smell that plagues his nightmares and leaves him shaking when he wakes. Alcohol.He stiffens when they break from their hug, though Carlos still has a wide grin plastered on his face. “Are you drunk?”~TK comes home to find a drunk Carlos which, while cute at first, soon takes a bad turn...
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1984406
Comments: 10
Kudos: 123
Collections: Bad Things Happen Bingo





	I Have Seen What the Darkness Does

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the shaking and shivering square on [my bthb card](https://officerrxyes.tumblr.com/post/632449748643741696/updated-1228-830-am-est-looking-for-prompt)
> 
> Not necessarily requested by Max but he did encourage me to write it after I pitched the idea...
> 
> [Max](https://terramous.tumblr.com/) also wrote a good portion/the best parts of this fic... pick out your fave line, i guarantee you he wrote it.
> 
> Also beta'd by [Jillian](https://brilliantbanshee.tumblr.com/) and [Tessa](https://lostinanimage.tumblr.com/) (thank you loves 💗)
> 
> Title from "Meet Me in the Woods" by Lord Huron

“Hey Carlos, I finished early so I was thinking we could still go on our date?” TK calls, pushing the front door shut behind him with his heel. 

The silence he gets in response is unusual but TK shrugs it off. Maybe Carlos had gone to bed early, not expecting TK to be home until well after midnight. But it’s 10pm and there are a few places still open if they want to grab food, so it’s worth a shot if Carlos isn’t too upset that they had to reschedule. TK knows that he owes Carlos an apology. Though his boyfriend had said it was fine over the phone, TK knew better than to believe his tight-lipped “it’s fine, we can have our date another day.”

Before he can investigate further, Carlos stumbles out into the living room. When he catches TK’s eye, an enormous grin appears on his face. “Hey! You made it!”

The pure excitement in his boyfriend's voice makes TK mirror his smile. “Yeah, I did. I got off early.”

“That’s awesome!” Carlos exclaims, moving across the room and wrapping his arms around TK.

At first, TK softens in his embrace, enjoying the affection and lack of any hint that Carlos held any hard feelings for their canceled date. But when he breathes in, expecting to inhale Carlos’ familiar scent, he instead finds a smell that plagues his nightmares and leaves him shaking when he wakes. Alcohol.

He stiffens when they break from their hug, though Carlos still has a wide grin plastered on his face. “Are you drunk?”

Carlos laughs him off. “Only if you want me to be.”

“Yeah, you are,” TK says, a small smile forming on his face. While he may be sober, he doesn’t exactly have an issue with other people drinking around him. A fact that he has tried to articulate to Carlos, but the other man usually brushes him off and opts for non-alcoholic options when they are together. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t looking forward to spending a little time getting to know drunk-Carlos tonight. 

Drunk-Carlos is someone he hadn’t really had the opportunity to meet before. He’s met tipsy Carlos on a few occasions, whom he found to be more clingy and affectionate than usual, and loud. Very. Loud. 

According to Michelle, who had witnessed the phenomenon of drunk-Carlos many times, he was truly something to behold. Needy, nosy, and all-too-eager to spill his guts, both metaphorically and literally. 

Even in the short timehe has been home TK felt he could add another item to that list: Carlos’ normally happy demeanor was clearly dialed up to 100.

Suddenly Carlos’ face lights up. “You’re here! We can go out!” 

“I’m not so sure about that, baby,” TK says cautiously. While he was looking forward to going out together, the way Carlos sways on his feet is enough to make him pause. “Why don’t we just stay in tonight?”

“I love that idea even more!” Carlos can’t stop smiling. He thinks for a second before adding on, “I’m going to make you something. What are you hungry for? I could make you soup?”

“Oh, Carlos. You really don’t have to-”

Before he can finish the sentence, Carlos’ lips collide with his own before he stumbles away toward the kitchen. Along the way, he trips over his own feet a few times. Each time, he merely laughs it off and keeps going.

TK bites back a laugh. While watching Carlos try to navigate his home in his drunken state has proven to be entertaining, TK is also beginning to grow slightly concerned. Moving around the kitchen and seeing the way Carlos can’t seem to walk in a straight line-- in addition to barely being able to stand up on his own and leaning on the countertops for support, are clear warning signs that Carlos is moving past the point of socially acceptable intoxication. 

His concern only grows when he spots the empty tequila bottle resting on the kitchen table. 

“Hey Carlos,” TK approaches him in the kitchen. He waits until Carlos stops looking for pans in one of the cabinets and gives him his full attention. “Can you tell me exactly how much you’ve had to drink tonight?”

“Um,” Carlos stops and thinks for a moment. 

TK waits for an answer but when more than a few seconds go by, he realizes that’s enough to tell him all he needs to know. “Okay, why don’t we go sit down?”

“No,” Carlos whines. “I want to make you something to eat. You must be hungry after your shift!”

“Carlos, I promise I’m fine. Let’s just go relax for a bit.”

TK doesn’t wait for an answer. Instead, TK grabs his hand, which he can’t help but notice is much more clammy than usual, and leads him over to the couch. He sits Carlos down first, before taking a seat next to him.

“Do you feel okay?” TK asks, trying to mask the concern in his voice. The amusement he had felt prior is beginning to dwindle at the signs that Carlos might be more than just a little drunk.

“I feel fine,” Carlos says, drawing out the “e” on fine. “You don’t have to sound so worried, TK”

“Well, I am.”

Carlos laughs. TK has grown so used to the warmth that blossomed in his chest at the sound of it, but this time he only felt a pit weighing heavily in his stomach. Up close, he can see the way Carlos sways, untethered from his surroundings, as well as the pale, almost ashy colour his skin had taken on. Nothing about this situation was serving to ease TK’s mind, instead his anxiety snowballed every time he picked up on yet another symptom. To say he was worried was an understatement. 

Before TK can ask again if he feels okay, Carlos leans into him. He starts out on his shoulder, before sliding down farther and resting his head on TK’s lap. “I love you, TK.”

“I know. I love you too, Carlos.”

“I feel dizzy,” he mumbles into TK’s lap. 

TK feels his pain. All too well he remembers going from feeling like you're on top of the world to absolute shit in a matter of minutes. Absentmindedly running his fingers through Carlos’ brown curls, he begins to notice just how shallow the other man is breathing. He tries not to jump to any conclusions just yet, though. “I’m sorry, baby.”

Carlos merely mumbles in response. They stay like that in silence for several minutes, with TK sympathetically rubbing Carlos’ head and waiting for what’s hopefully the worst to pass. Suddenly, Carlos jolts upright and locks eyes with TK. “I’m gonna be sick.”

Before TK can reply, Carlos darts out of the living room and down the hall, shutting the bathroom door behind him. TK slowly gets up and follows him. He softly knocks on the door but doesn’t wait for an answer. 

The sight of Carlos hunched over the toilet, emptying his stomach brings back many memories. TK can never quite forget the acidic burn of the alcohol against his throat. 

He moves into the small room and crouches down next to Carlos, rubbing small circles on his back. When Carlos goes to lean back against him, TK can’t help but notice how he’s shaking much more than what could be considered normal. 

“How are you doing, baby?” he asks, even though the sweat he brushes off Carlos’ forehead gives him the answer. 

“Not great,” he pants before pushing himself off of TK to lean back over the toilet. 

After throwing up what had to be an organ or two, Carlos went back to leaning heavily against TK, panting. Even as his breathing settles down to a more regular rhythm, his eyes remain closed as he rests his head on TK's shoulder. 

"Carlos? Do you think you can get up and walk back to the couch with me?"

When Carlos doesn't reply, TK's heart picks up its pace and his training kicks in. 

"Carlos?" TK tries again, shaking the other man's shoulder in an attempt to get him to stir. Nothing.

He knows enough between his training and many nights held victim by the grip of his addiction in the face of substances to know that Carlos shouldn't just sleep this off. This is bad. 

“Carlos,” TK tries, shaking him a little harder this time and hoping for a sign that he hasn’t passed out yet. 

“Mmm,” Carlos mumbles in reply, keeping his eyes shut. 

“You need to stay awake. Why don’t we go back to the living room?”

“No, ‘m sleepy.”

TK sighs. He knows he’s fighting a losing battle but he can’t stop trying just yet. “Carlos, please. You have to get up.”

Carlos hums in reply but makes no effort to get up. TK lightly shakes him again, trying to get him to move but it’s no use. Carlos has become a deadweight. 

“Hey, baby. Are you still with me?” he asks hopefully. But when he gets no response, his heart sinks. “Carlos?”

Still nothing. The other man has passed out and TK isn’t sure what he’s supposed to do now. 

He needs to take a step back and assess the situation, just like he would for any call before EMS arrived. He takes note of all Carlos' observable symptoms: unresponsive, pale face, shallow breathing. All signs point to something TK was all too familiar with, both in treating and experiencing; alcohol poisoning. 

He could be wrong. He's probably just paranoid because this is Carlos, and TK worries about Carlos more than he cares for his own safety. 

Still, he's had it drilled into his head since he was a kid. Always call for help even if you're not sure it's entirely necessary. It was better to worry too much and get someone help they don't need than to brush it off. TK knows to trust his gut, and if it's telling him that something is wrong, then he's probably right. 

But what if he is just overreacting? Passing out after a night of heavy drinking happens to a lot of people. Why would this be any different? 

Reasonably, TK knows the answer: it is different because Carlos never drinks heavily. If he drank enough alcohol in a short enough period of time, then his liver is likely working overtime, leading to countless other possible issues.

TK shakes his head and takes a few deep breaths. He’s letting his emotions get in the way of looking at the situation clearly. He needs to have a clear head and look at this objectively, just as if this were any other emergency.

His first task has to be getting Carlos off the bathroom floor. Or at the very least, TK needs to get him on his side. In his current position, it’s very likely he could choke on his own vomit. Something that most definitely needs to be avoided.

TK tries his best to shift Carlos’ body so he’s no longer leaning with his back against TK but is now resting on his right side. While he may not look comfortable, TK knows that this is better for him, at least. 

But he still has to figure out if Carlos needs help, or if he’s just overreacting.

After taking a few deep breaths, he decides the best course of action would be to call Michelle. While calling 9-1-1 would most likely be the better option, at least if he’s overreacting it would be better to hear it from his paramedic friend. 

_“Hello?”_ Michelle thankfully picks up after the first few rings. 

“H-hey Michelle,” he stutters, not even realizing how much his voice shakes until he speaks. 

_“TK? Is everything okay?”_

“Maybe? I’m not sure exactly. Everything’s probably fine and I’m just overreacting but I wanted to call you just to be safe because I wasn’t sure what else to do and-”

_“-slow down, TK”_ Michelle cuts off his rambling. _“Just take some deep breaths, and tell me what’s going on.”_

TK follows her instructions before explaining, “I came home from my shift to find Carlos pretty drunk. It was cute at first but he started showing signs that had me concerned and now he’s passed out and I’m not sure what to do.”

_“What kind of signs?”_

“Uh, shallow breathing, pale, clammy skin, shaking,” he lists off the symptoms he observed from Carlos’ behavior. Now saying it out loud he realizes how painfully clear it was from the start that something was very wrong. 

_“You think it might be alcohol poisoning?”_

“Possibly? I mean I’ve seen it happen before, but also I could just be overreacting.”

_“If your gut says something is wrong, then you should listen to it.”_ Michelle tries to reassure him, though he knows there’s no way she could know for sure unless she was actually here. _“You said he’s passed out now, did you try waking him?”_

“Yeah, he was answering at first but since he’s become fairly unresponsive. I was able to get him on his side, though.”

_“Okay that’s good. How’s his breathing? Have you checked his pulse?”_

“No,” TK mentally curses at himself. Checking Carlos’ pulse should have been one of the first things he thought of. Yet another sign that his judgement is completely clouded in this situation.

He puts the phone down on the tiled floor and switches it to speaker before scooting closer to Carlos. Gently, he places two fingers on the other man’s pulse point on his wrist, letting out on a sigh of relief when he finds it. 

“His pulse isn’t as strong as it should be, but it’s there. His breathing is still shallow.”

_“Okay,”_ Michelle responds through the phone. She pauses and TK remains frozen in his place, unsure of where to go from here. _“I’ll be over in 15 minutes and we can figure this out. Until then, just stay calm and keep monitoring his pulse and breathing.”_

“Thank you, Michelle. I’ll see you soon,” he hangs up the phone and mentally prepares for what’s sure to be some of the longest 15 minutes of his life. 

* * *

The first thing Carlos thinks when he wakes up is that he must have forgotten to turn the light off before he fell asleep. His eyes are still closed but he can still see that the room is drenched in light. His head hurts and his entire body aches, how much did he drink last night? 

Except he usually sleeps on his side, with his arms looped around a pillow when he misses TK, and he’s definitely on his back right now, with a heavy weight on his arm. 

Braving the harsh white lights that are definitely not the same as the ones he has in his apartment, Carlos realises where he is. He’s in a hospital bed and the weight on his arm was none other than TK’s head, his cheek pressed against Carlos’ forearm as he snored lightly. He looks peaceful like this.

As the memories of the night before come flooding back, Carlos feels the weight of his decisions lay heavy on him. He senses the dread of turning to alcohol to cope with his emotions and the embarrassment of leaving TK to deal with it. 

He moves his arm that isn’t currently weighed down by TK across the bed to gently stroke the other man’s head. At the touch, TK moans lightly at first before realizing what was actually happening. His head pops up and he locks eyes with Carlos.

“You’re awake.”

“Yeah, I guess I am,” Carlos nods.

“What do you remember?”

Now that was an interesting question. He definitely remembers feeling let down when TK canceled on him, and pouring himself that first glass of tequila, and probably a second and third. After that it’s just black. Though from that he can only assume his decision to drink so much is what landed him a hospital stay. 

“Not much,” he says quietly, noting the way TK looks down awkwardly at his response. “When did you find me?”

“Well, I got off my shift early and you were pretty drunk at the time, but you quickly went downhill and eventually passed out.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, TK nods before continuing. “I called Michelle and we figured it was a good possibility you had alcohol poisoning so we brought you here just to be safe. It’s a good thing we did, your blood alcohol was .2% over the legal limit. Not good, Carlos. They’re giving you fluids now while it works it way out of your system.”

Now that TK is no longer leaning on his arm, he can clearly see the needle sticking in the back of his hand. He didn’t think he drank enough to warrant a trip to the hospital but this and the way TK was refusing to meet his eye told him everything he needed to know.. 

“Listen, TK,” he starts but TK looks up and cuts him off. 

“Carlos you really don’t have to explain yourself to me.”

“I want to though. I don’t know what happened last night. I don’t normally drink like that and I definitely wouldn’t have done it if I knew you were going to end up coming over.”

“I’ve told you, you’re allowed to drink around me,” TK says, before going back to looking down, fidgeting absentmindedly with his hands which Carlos can’t help but notice are shaking much more than usual. 

Though TK sounds sincere, Carlos can’t help but feel guilty. “I know that. But I still wish you didn’t have to see me like that. I can’t imagine how scary it must have been.”

TK gives a small nod, though the look in his eyes tells Carlos all he needs to know about how TK feels. “It brought up some bad memories too, didn’t it?”

At this, TK looks up and nods again. “Yeah, but you don’t have to worry about that. You don’t need to be walking on eggshells around me.”

“I should be more sensitive about it though. And I will be going forward, I promise.”

“I told you I don’t care if you drink, Carlos,” TK says exasperated. He sighs, placing his forehead in his still shaking hands before looking up again. “I just want you to be smart about it, okay?”

Carlos nods. He can tell TK is somewhat frustrated, but he understands why. He’s just as frustrated with himself, honestly.

“I just,” TK starts, his voice much smaller than before. He takes a deep breath before continuing. “I know it seems like a casual one-night thing where you drink until your brain is numb and it’s fine because you’re going to have a wicked hangover in the morning and you won’t do it again, but I know how a one-time thing becomes a two-time thing and then you’re on your sixth night of drinking and you didn’t even realize because you’re too busy puking your guts out to notice the passage of time. This kind of stuff can get so far out of hand before you even notice anything. I need you to promise me that you will be smart about this, okay?”

“Yes, of course, baby,” Carlos says, reaching over for TK’s hand and ignoring the pull of the IV on his own hand. The other man gratefully takes it and gives it a light squeeze.

“I just want to make sure you know what you’re doing. I mean, alcohol poisoning? Really?”

Carlos cringes a little at the bite in TK’s tone.

“Look, I’m all for you drinking, as long as you’re doing it responsibly, Carlos. Don’t make the same mistakes I did when I was too young to know the consequences what I was doing would have for the rest of my life. And, I beg that if you feel the need to drink like that, that you call someone. I don’t care if it’s me or not, you just should turn to the people that love you before you turn to substances, Carlos. I’m here for you, night or day, rain or shine, but I can’t help you if you don’t let me.”

“I know.”

They exchange smiles, having the confidence that they were going to be okay going forward. 

Maybe there would be some problems in the future and maybe they would need to have that talk, but as long as they had each other, Carlos wasn’t too worried. As long as they had each other, everything would be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> chill with me on [tumblr](officerrxyes.tumblr.com)


End file.
